cucumber

Few foods are as cool as a cucumber. These low-calorie veggies contain many nutritional benefits, including hydrating properties and valuable nutrients.While most people think of cucumbers as vegetables, they are actually a fruit. They contain seeds and grow from the ovaries of flowering plants.

 Nutrition Facts

• Cucumbers are good sources of phytonutrients (plant chemicals that have protective or disease preventive properties) such flavonoids, lignans and triterpenes, which have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer benefits.
• The peel and seeds are the most nutrient-dense parts of the cucumber. They contain fiber and beta-carotene, a form of vitamin A that is good for eyes.
•  cucumber seeds were a good source of minerals, and contained calcium.
• Cucumbers are naturally low in calories, carbohydrates, sodium, fat and cholesterol.
• They also provide small amounts of vitamin K, vitamin C, magnesium, potassium, manganese and vitamin.

 10 Amazing Health Benefits of Cucumbers

  1. Help you stay hydrated

  Cucumbers are 95.2 percent water, which means that a 5-ounce serving contains 4.8   ounces or 150 ml water. That’s already about 26 percent of your daily water intake       through food.

2. Support heart health

Cucumbers contain potassium, which can help lower blood pressure. A review of the best studies conducted on potassium intake showed that a higher intake “is associated with lower rates of stroke and might also reduce the risk of total cardiovascular disease.”

3. Protect your brain from neurological diseases

An anti-inflammatory substance called fisetin is present in cucumbers.It has recently been suggested that fisetin plays an important role in brain health: It would have “the ability to reduce the impact of age-related neurological diseases on brain function,” and it would also help maintain cognitive function in people.

4. Protect your skin against the effects of aging

There is a reason why cucumbers are used in skin care: They have been shown to be effective as a potential anti-wrinkle agent in cosmetic products, protecting our skin form the effects of aging.

5. Fight inflammation in the body and reduce the risk of cancer

Cucumbers can help lower the inflammatory response in the body. They contain polyphenols called lignans, which can potentially reduce the risk of certain cancers and cardiovascular diseases.

6. Relieve pain

Flavonoids, which are anti-inflammatory substances, and tannins in cucumbers have both been shown to limit the release of free radicals in the body and to reduce pain.

7. Reduce bad breath

Bad breath is usually caused by bacteria in the mouth. Fiber and water-rich vegetables like cucumbers can boost your mouth’s saliva production, which in turn helps wash away the bacteria that cause the odor in the mouth.

8. Protect your bones

Cucumber are a good source of vitamin K: One cup contains 22 percent of the recommended daily intake of vitamin K. This vitamin is essential for bone health, as low vitamin K intakes have been associated with a higher risk for bone fracture. Vitamin K is also important for improving calcium absorption in the bones.

9. Prevent constipation

Cucumbers are rich in water, and their skin contains insoluble fiber. Both water and fiber help food to move through the digestive tract quicker and more easily, helping prevent constipation.

10. Maintain a healthy weight

Cucumbers are very low in calories (16 calories per cup) and they also contain fiber in the skin. And foods that contain fiber can help maintain a healthy weight.